Studio Ghibli to Open Toronto Film Festival With Hayao Miyazaki’s New Film

It looks like Studio Ghibli is gearing up for an important outing. Shortly after debuting Hayao Miyazaki’s new film in Japan, the feature film has a new premiere in sight. How Do You Live, which is known as The Boy and the Heron internationally, is set to open the Toronto Film Festival.

The update comes from Studio Ghibli today as the company confirmed it will be bringing the movie to the acclaimed festival. The confirmation comes after weeks of speculation about Toronto’s lineup. Given the ongoing writer and actor strikes, the famous event will be toned down in terms of stars. However, Studio Ghibli is stepping in to bolster the film festival.

Guests at the Toronto Film Festival will be able to watch How Do You Live on September 7th at Roy Thomson Hall. Later this year, GKIDS Films expects to release the Miyazaki film in North America. At this time, no wide release date has been set, but fans are eager to see How Do You Live nonetheless.

“We are honored to open the 48th Toronto International Film Festival with the work of one of cinema’s greatest artists. Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love and rises to a staggering work of imagination,” Cameron Bailey, the CEO of TIFF, shared with fans in a new statement.

With Miyazaki’s new film leading the festival, the Toronto Festival is set to make history. How Do You Live will mark the first Japanese film and animated feature to launch TIFF. At this time, no word has been shared on who will star in the Studio Ghibli film’s English dub. Reports have suggested Miyazaki himself will not be attending TIFF come September, but plans can change of course. As the festival nears, we will learn more about Studio Ghibli’s role at the famed festival and how Miyazaki’s movie will set its tone. 

If you are not familiar with How Do You Live, you should know the Studio Ghibli movie just released in Japan on July 14th. The movie has been in the works for years under Miyazaki as the director left retirement to oversee the project. Loosely based on a Japanese novel of the same name, How Do You Live tells the story of a young boy attempting to deal with the unexpected stresses of adolescence. Filled with Miyazaki’s fantastical charm, the movie has been received well in Japan despite a total lack of marketing, and international fans are ready to check out How Do You Live for themselves. 

What do you think about this Studio Ghibli comeuppance? Are you excited to see Miyazaki’s new film? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!